Jeff Stelling's light-hearted dig at Newcastle

Chris Cordner

The man hailed as Hartlepool's greatest export took a light-hearted dig at relegated Newcastle.

Speaking to a packed audience of 300 people at the Hartlepool Business Awards, guest-of-honour Jeff described his role as presenter of one of Britain's best loved football programmes, Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports.

He said the programme didn't show any actual action from football matches, adding: "The show has no shots, no near misses, no goals. Just like watching Newcastle."

His speech also included a look back at some of the highlights of his career, saying: "I have been to World Cup finals and famous football grounds like the San Siro, Bernabeu and Victoria Park.

He described George Best as the greatest player he had ever seen and harked back to the days when he started out as a Hartlepool Mail reporter.

He told the Hartlepool audience, "you have been fantastically supportive."

And then came the surprise of the night when Jeff became an award winner himself, picking up the trophy for Hartlepool's Greatest Export.

Watch out for more on the awards and on Jeff's trophy win in tomorrow's Hartlepool Mail.

And make sure you get next Tuesday's Mail for a supplement filled with interviews and photographs of the winners of all the awards.